Disclaimer: By this means, I rightfully claim ownership to this FanFiction story and my original character within it, by my trademark signature T.M.O at the conclusion of every update. Any other characters that may appear in this work and are new, these are the rightful properties by their creators as well and cannot be reproduced, or duplicated without their individual consent. I do not own anything within the DC Universe, from Warner Brothers, or on Cartoon Network. The only original character and the name that I created for him; that I accept half ownership on is Falcon from this telling. Scififanfreak222 owns the second half of him as well, for drawing him upon a collaboration of various new designs and sketches within the year of 2010; and cannot be knowingly placed into another literary document, writing community, comic book series, and or televised broadcast without either of our written or verbal consent in front of legal consultants. TheForceIsStrongWithThisOne, Scififanfreak222, xSaffire55x, Novus Ordo Seclorum, and RavenxIsxAxBlackxRose; each of these fellow writers have helped me to press onwards with this story, every-time I have come across writers block. Without their outstanding guidance, the updates would have taken me even longer to complete.
Chapter 40 is at last here! Slade's plot continues to dismantle The Teen Titans, who have become fragmented within The Old Stadium. Beast Boy and Terra are left in a difficult situation of their own, where it is during this unmitigated disaster, that Cyborg ventures towards the smoldering crater. "Pick your poison." -Unknown-
Chapter 40 - Out Of The Frying Pan
"Titans Tower to Teen Titans, come in!"
Beast Boy's voice had cracked, while his entire body was hunched low in front the computer. He looked across the screen, his mouth ajar.
* . . . *
The images and video footage from within The Old Stadium, had become fully obscured. Static and white noise hissed, while each of their friends across the little boxes, everything was dark.
A strange and unexpected green smoke had risen about the tunnels and passageways, nothing could be seen across the security cameras. To make matters worse, the heroes personal devices had all cut-out, at the exact same time.
Something was blocking their line of communication, but still it was hard to believe.
Beast Boy cleared his throat, then he tried once more. "Titans Tower calling Teen Titans . . . report!"
* . . . *
The only logical explanation looking at this from his standpoint, was that the heroes were under attack. There was nothing more to go on, no clues as to where the enemy was striking from, or how many there were. The static feedback across the monitor in The Common Room was evidence enough, that the gathering had been ambushed.
His dark green eyes scanned each of the little boxes at rapid intervals, the shapeshifter was hoping to hear from somebody, yet the unknown terror was painful to endure. Only the steady loop of static was received.
He released a deep sigh of frustration, and he clicked off the transmitter. In a matter of seconds, the footage on display across the jumbo-screen within The Common Room, was showing just the map of the city.
"What are you doing?" Terra asked with a slight tremble in her tone, her heart was pounding very quickly, and she took a few seconds to calm herself. "Why - why can't we see them? What's going on?"
Crossing his fingers together and resting his chin onto them without glancing back, he waited. In a cold deadpan he answered, "Any cameras from within the sporting arena have been deliberately blocked. We can't see anything, and what's worse, is that the communicators are unable to pick up our signal here, which can only mean one thing . . ."
"What?" she gulped, her focus was glued to the jumbo screen, but slowly she turned back to him.
"There is something interfering with our ability to make calls, which is a bold strategy even for Slade. To have gone this far, that is something we should have seen coming!" He slammed his fist onto the table, as his upright posture crumbled.
"Beast Boy, we need to do something!"
After a few lingering moments, he straightened himself in his seat, and he nodded in agreement. He pressed the 'call' button on the keyboard, praying for a miracle. "Titans Tower to Robin . . . come in!"
* . . . *
"Where could they be?" Terra gasped while pacing back and forth. She was uneasy like a patient awaiting the dreaded results from a medial exam.
"Titans Tower to Titans Squadron . . . report!"
* . . . *
"This is bad. I can't get through to anybody!" Beast Boy shook his head.
The green hero felt useless. He wanted to be with his teammates, to rush in and to morph into any number of animals to do battle against the attackers, alongside his friends. The teenager felt broken in more ways than one.
Surely there is something I can do . . . think Beast Boy . . . THINK!
His injuries forced him to stay put, his leg and arm were still in their casts, and his fists tightened. He was not with them, and when they required him now more than ever, in a most desperate hour, all that he could do, was watch.
His pointy ears drooped low, like a dog's would when an owner would scold it. The popping hiss of white noise, across each of the cameras live feeds was more annoying to his very sensitive hearing.
There must be some way I can help . . . but how?
"Beast Boy?"
Terra's voice caused him to awaken and look up at her, while he turned the volume down.
"I'll give it another shot." he paused, as a lump formed in his throat. "This is Titans Tower to Teen Titans . . . does anybody read me?"
After he depressed the call button, there was only static. The pair of teenagers waited, and the seconds continued to tick past.
There was no idea as to how many enemies were at work, the lack of critical information was putting them in a heightened state of perpetual fear. The unfortunate disadvantages contained to mount, and the nightmare was becoming worse.
DONG!
The singular bell was struck, from the very center of the city. It echoed outwards in a long slow melody, and it broke the changeling free from his trance. The clock upon the wall, and this powerful tune from the heart of Jump City, this revealed it was now one in the morning.
Without any awareness to it, the young female slowly collapsed into her seat. Terra felt as if weights were placed onto her shoulders and back, her legs had become sore, and the same twisting discomfort that she had experienced days ago, the nausea forced her to squeeze her fingers, as her face wrinkled.
Her head was spinning wildly, her throat was dry, and her hands began to shake. When she glanced over at Beast Boy, the poor lad in his deplorable state, and with him being confined within a wheelchair only made her feel how desperate everything had become, and the fear began to build.
The same terror that wormed through her stomach, when the madman's metallic boots steadily clanked against the concrete. It was a slow, methodic pace, and the outline of his muscular figure, it only caused her heart to thump faster. Even before he spoke, there was an aura of pure evil, that radiated off from his mere shadow that stretched across the floor.
"This is all my fault." Terra whispered, and her head turned towards her shoes. ". . . they - they walked into this. They are in danger, and it is all because of . . . me."
The blond was sinking within the great void, the pit of anguish that had caused her to feel hollow. It is the same feeling that a soldier, or a police officer can develop, having impacted an innocent life in a negative manner. It was of having to acknowledge her role in other people's suffering, which was an unpleasant experience for any survivor.
In this girl's case, to be the direct cause of many people being harmed, of witnessing people suffer as she would cower away, this was a form of Post Traumatic Stress.
She felt like a shell of who she thought she was, the new life with a fresh start, adopted parents that took her in, and a hopeful transition with friends at a high-school, was all lost the day she awoke from the hospital.
The girl was unable to fully embrace what it meant to be a teenager, cast in the bottomless hole that was her tragic history. Terra had never stayed in any place longer than a few days, and she sought out a means to control her powers, always ending with far worse outcomes.
The mudslides and avalanches, the earthquakes from her uncontrolled powers had wrought harm onto innocent people everywhere. The cities and infrastructure would be devastated, where they left scars of their own.
Terra had caused problems for so many, where the grief never left, it only grew. It became harder not being able to avoid the experiences. Even with her new family, The Teen Titans, she could not control her powers. The girl was left with no alternative but to seek help from an outsider, a teacher who wound up using her as a pawn.
She had forgotten but little by little, she remembered. There was nothing that could be done about the past.
Tears began to form in her eyes, as the reflection of herself unleashing chaos across the city played back. Like a reel of grainy footage, what had transpired was forever going to remain a part of the city's records.
She had tried to bury the worst parts, to lock them away and throw away the key deep, deep within her conscience. It was gradually protruding out, and dismantling her cold and blank composure. A person racked with tremendous pain and guilt, can only keep a poker face up for so long, eventually it wears a person down beyond the breaking point.
Beast Boy wheeled himself closer to her, and he placed a hand onto her shoulder before speaking.
"Now you listen to me Terra." His rasping voice was strangely commanding, and calm. "You are not responsible for this. Not a single thing. Okay?"
"You don't understand, I don't think-"
"No!" he paused to collect himself. "You need to stop blaming yourself for every little thing that happened! I know that you are still tearing yourself down, from what happened between us. But please, this - this has to stop."
She looked upwards, her blue eyes which trembled, met with his green and steady pair. A sensation rolled through her now, like a wave crashing against the beach and pulling everything in its path back out to the sea.
Why does he care? He has feelings for Raven . . . not for me. What happened at the hospital was a mistake.
Beast Boy clasped her hands into his own, and he smiled. "Do you remember . . . do you remember what I told you when you were in that very dark, unforgiving place about to strike me down with that boulder?"
"Beast Boy-"
"I told you, that you could still control your powers. That you could still do the right thing."
Compassion and affection were all he had continuously offered her, that he gave without any thought of himself. She felt a smoothness in his tone, of his gentle nature that made him the young man that he was.
Terra nodded twice, not saying a word. Gradually, the world became dark and cold, as she shut her eyes while a piece of their history she had not dwelled upon, suddenly resurfaced.
(~)
- Flashback -
The injured green wolf was growling ferociously, with his teeth flashing to ward off any would be attackers. In realizing his efforts had failed, he transformed back into human form, grunting while his leg was pinned beneath a rock.
Beast Boy winced, trying to squirm himself free from the obstruction. Looking up, the shadow of his attacker loomed near, and the lad spoke.
"Terra . . . no!"
The Geomancer was standing directly over the changeling, the unmistakable sensation of fear was radiating off from him. She had a golden aura that was glowing around her right hand, as she stepped closer.
With a crestfallen expression in her blue eyes, she paused before speaking.
"He's . . . too powerful!" she winced, trying to fight against the other battle-front, being against the tattered armor she wore. "I . . . I can't stop him!"
"Yes you can!" Beast Boy urged, trying to offer a final olive branch to jolt her out of the sinister trance, a diabolical plot Slade had her trapped within. He knew there was good in her, he was going to fight for her, even now. "It's your power, not his!"
Terra struggled against the electrical jolts being sent into her nerves. With every hesitation, with each second that passed, the amplification only increased. Her powers were a truly devastating force, and they were tied directly to her anger.
By accepting Slade's offer, she had become a weapon. There was no doubt about her commitment to her newest partner, only the quest for absolute power, of dominion against the whole world that had abandoned her. Revenge against everybody that had shunned her, that caused her to go down this path.
The plot was not just against The Teen Titans, but the masses of people that did not care about her suffering, or want to offer any help. She was left with no alternatives, but to seek out a mentor dedicated to hone her skills.
On the night in the amusement park, within The House Of Mirrors, she pushed everything out of her mind once the fight between Slade and Beast Boy had concluded. There was no turning back, the betrayal was complete.
The futuristic material that Slade had crafted for her, in the days that preceded this, had enhanced her abilities. The unfortunate reality was revealed to her only now, that she could not take it off.
Having donned it before the battle, the comfort in being wanted for her gifts, of a new partnership and family felt to have finally been achieved. She had defeated The Teen Titans, the local police and security forces were driven underground. Everybody was afraid of her, all except for Slade.
No. She thought while looking at the injured teenager before her. Beast Boy was not afraid of me.
The suit was controlled by a nefarious gadget that The Criminal Mastermind had hidden somewhere. Terra had never thought even this level of deception was possible, she was too weak to stand against him.
The more pain she felt, the less time to think she would have. There was only enough energy to step closer towards her target, to inch towards the green changeling who was once her closest friend, while the shocks and needles poked and stabbed into her.
"You can still control it! You can still do the right thing!" Beast Boy continued his desperate plea.
I will save her!
"It's too late." Tera replied.
With tears forming, she reopened her eyes as a heartbroken like stare, was all she could reveal. Using her Geomancer abilities, she combined the various pieces of rock around them, to form into a giant wedge aimed directly at Beast Boy's head!
She levitated it in place, while her posture was firm and unbroken. The blond moved it forwards, causing Beast Boy to gasp.
They can't stop him . . . what chance do I-
"STOP!" Robin's voice belted from the entrance of the cave, as he swung into the scene from his grapple-gun.
The Criminal Mastermind that was watching this unfold from a higher elevation, he walked closer, as another challenger appeared. The tables were turning, his foes had located him.
"Strike apprentice!" Slade goaded, his victory was slipping and this needed to be ended. "NOW!"
"Terra, NO!" Robin called again. He did not want this, he promised Beast Boy, but if he had to act he could not hesitate.
One by one, the others began to converge within the arena. Cyborg ran into the room, followed closely by Starfire flying directly above him. All with their primary weapons powered up at max, and aiming to unleash against her.
It was only when the battle on the streets had been thwarted, when the heroes had arisen as if from the grave to confront her once more, that her devious tutor had shown his true intentions. The very gift he had offered, the armor to protect and enhance her abilities, it was like a pact she formed with the devil.
Is this possible? Terra thought. How?
Only when she failed in her mission to destroy The Teen Titans, the true nature of the contract was realized, as she fled back to base. The underside fabric of the impressive material, it had become embedded across her skin, like a bandage that was stuck to a still open wound.
She could not peal it off, without maiming her own body permanently. The pain was too much to tear it away, while she became frozen in place.
"It will be the last thing you ever DO!" Raven's rasping voice brought a chill to everybody, as the black aura of her powers, radiated off her entire cloaked body.
Terra glanced at the Empath, the final avenue of escape had been cut-off.
The Geomancer was pinned, just as much as the green boy who looked up at her, his eyes had not broken away from her. It was the same desperate look she had given him, a feeling of so long ago, that hopeful notion of friendship, of a deeper connection which she had never before experienced came rushing through her.
She wanted to say something, but her thoughts were quickly interrupted.
"I GAVE YOU AN ORDER!" Slade leaned in, having barked in a harsh demand. "DO IT!"
"Please Terra . . . NO!" Starfire beseeched, the emerald glow of her star-bolts glowing in her hands, as well as her eyes, yet her expression was not of hatred, it was of compassion.
"Don't do it!" Cyborg chimed in, aiming his sonic cannon directly center at her body. The blast could knock her down, but if fully charged and at the range he stood, it was capable of shattering bones. "DON'T. DO. IT!"
"Listen to us Terra!" said Robin, he held explosive disks in his hand ready to throw.
"We are not playing around here!" Cyborg growled.
"Please Terra . . . we are still your friends! We want to help!" Starfire begged.
While all of these voices were bouncing around the underground cavern, Terra remained stuck in her place. She could not think, she could not make any movements, her voice was lost in her throat as she was the very center of attention.
Her hands began to tremble, and her heart-rate became almost deafening to her ears.
How did this happen? she managed to whisper in her head. I cannot leave, I am trapped!
Beast Boy took a moment, and he reached out to her one last time. As if hearing the voice only inside of her mind, he decided to offer a path. "It's your life Terra. Your choice. It's never to late to change."
There was a lingering stillness that cut through everybody, all eyes were focused upon her. Terra however, she could not part her focus from the shapeshifting lad on the floor.
"Sorry Beast Boy." Terra whispered, where her voice suddenly revealed tremendous sorrow as she calmed herself. "For everything I've done."
The blond clenched her right fist. Then in an absolute fury, she shut her eyes and screamed, while hurling the pointed boulder that was intended for Beast Boy, at the monster of all of this, being Slade himself!
The Criminal Mastermind was thrown backwards from the blast! The boulder created a mound of smoke, to coalesce about his body. The act of her defiance was so minor in his own strategy, that he had overlooked the willpower that this teenage girl possessed.
Through everything, his plans and all of his counter measures to avoid this very scene, she had decided to turn against him. As his previous ex-apprentice had overcome him, now his second had arisen to challenge him.
Terra levitated above him now, the stinging jabs and electrical shocks had become totally numb to her. She was through with everything, she was done with being used. She was doing this not for the city, not for others, this had to be done on her own will.
No more! She found the courage at last. No more games! No more lies! No more!
While Slade leapt backwards, to get a better angle of high ground to strike, the Geomancer went directly after him!
There was no escape from the wrath that she was going to unleash. In an instant the roles were reversed, he was trapped and the enemy had him cornered.
Meanwhile, Cyborg rushed towards Beast Boy to clear away the debris that had him pinned. The battle waged on above them, as the collapse of pillars and monitors crashed all around.
Slade gradually stood, he was outnumbered and his base was crumbling to ruins. His greatest strategy had been foiled, his army was defeated, his generals had been captured, and now his ultimate weapon, his apprentice was going to fight against him.
His lone eye turned a burning hatred from The Teen Titans, towards the Geomancer that scowled a righteous fury right back at him. It was a look that he had never before experienced! A wave of raw emotion was directed entirely at him, he could not accept this.
"You ungrateful . . . little-" Slade uttered, only to be cut-off.
Terra roared like a fierce lioness! She used her powers to cast stone, stalactites, and anything else of Earth bound material at him.
He could do nothing to break through her formidable defenses, he braced himself while she raised the platform he stood on, to face him completely alone. She hurled barrages of attacks at him, slamming debris into his body, tearing chunks of wall and pillar out, and using this as ammunition while the hits dented and cracked his armor.
The Teen Titans watched from below, totally captivated and waiting to see how this would pan out. They were ready to take Slade down, but the blond seemed to be doing just fine on her own.
In a swift instant, Slade lost his balance and he tumbled off the ledge!
Terra was gasping for air, and her powers weaned back to normal as the pain from the suit had ceased all together. A new stillness lingered, and she levitated downwards, approaching the spot to make sure that he was truly gone.
A swift shadow emerged from the depths, and a mighty uppercut slammed into the girl's stomach, knocking her backwards! Slade was playing opossum, the tactic had worked where now she was down.
The one eyed monster walked forwards, in a slow methodical pace. He gripped her by the collar and he hoisted her up with one hand, high into the air!
He was going to end her life, a betrayal of this magnitude left him with no alternatives. The Titans had won this round, but he could unleash one more twist of his own methods, a wound straight through their hearts, by piercing hers with his kunai knife.
To end her after they had just saved her, in front of his rivals would steal their victory! With one hand he held her before his enemies, while his other reached for his concealed blade on his belt.
Terra's golden yellow hair began to whirl, the tattered remnants of her armor whipped about her, she knew what he was doing, and she waited for him to relish his moment. The bright glow in her eyes gave him absolute shock!
She had utilized his own tactic against him, to lure him into a new trap. In a profound and remarkably confident tone, Terra had mustered all of her stamina while the immense rage that took over everything, was a booming tone in her voice across the halls.
"YOU. CAN'T. CONTROL. ME. ANYMORE!"
Her powers created an intensely heated glow, brighter than the surface of the sun, as everything around these two combatants had become engulfed by the massive golden circle. Soon, the lone pillar he stood upon had disappeared beneath his feet, melting from the sphere that her powers generated, and his eye bulged with horror behind the iron mask!
KA-BOOM!
The avalanche of rubble from the ceiling and higher levels, began to drop at an increased pace all around them, while Terra stood alone.
The fortress was going to become a tomb. A thick smoldering smell of soot, of lava consuming everything in its path, of an intense heat from fire slowly sneaked upwards. It had spread around every corner for the brave teenagers, they had come to rescue Beast Boy and Terra, now they had to save themselves!
Flames from the deepest bowels of the lowest levels, skyrocketed upwards in a great geysers. Steam hissed, and a mighty earthquake shook the ground.
While the superheroes stood, bracing themselves for what was happening, The Boy Wonder motioned for his team to gather towards the pathway he had first entered from.
"Terra's Power!" Robin shouted to be heard, as the extensive cavern continued collapsing. "It's triggered a volcano!"
Cyborg glanced to his built-in scanner on his wrist, then he said, "Big enough to take out the whole city!" In fear, he looked at his friends to continue with, "And WAY TO BIG TO STOP!"
Another geyser of flame shot behind the blue cloaked Empath. She used her powers to form a shield, to protect herself and the others from the intense heat.
"We have to get out of here!" Raven replied in the upmost of urgency.
Robin waved for Starfire to follow, where the heroes wasted no more time in their escape. All but Beast Boy remained to catch the girl that had single handedly defeated their worst opponent, as her legs wobbled.
"Terra!" Beast Boy called out, racing over to catch her. "Come on, we gotta go!"
She kept her head bowed low. The guilt of her actions, the exhaustion of battle, the wrath of all her rage was too much to put into words, or any way for him to understand.
She needed him to understand, she had to make this right.
"I have to stay." Terra spoke, while slowly looking up.
"No."
Terra turned away from him, glancing at the destruction that enveloped the fortress. They only had a few minutes, this was the end, and she was making peace with it. "I'm the only one who can stop it."
"Please Terra, you can't! It's too late!"
His heart was pounding like a hummingbird's, his eyes were wide open, and he stood with her. This was not how he wanted it to end, surely there was something he could do?
She turned to face him, brushing a strand of her long silk golden hair away, and she spoke with a smile, "It's never too late."
Beast Boy just stood there, unable to counter this. He could not take his now trembling eyes off from her, the anger they had against each other had vanished, and like the warmth of a sunbeam breaking through a storm, they were both captivated by this feeling.
For every precious second that passed, this was going to become a fraction of a moment, like tears in the rain.
He thought, Perhaps I should stay.
Without any words being spoken, yet knowing in his heart this was his intent, she reached over and pulled him into her own embrace. He felt a love, a great comfort that he had not felt for so long, as he tried desperately to reach for her, to pull her back into the light.
The darkness of treachery had consumed so much, Slade's scheming and tactics had done their work, but this was real. He had known all along that she had a place in his life, within his heart. Now that she admitted this, it was bitter sweet.
Tears began to cascade down her face. Terra knew that he was not going to abandon her, that he would even stay with her to the end, but this caused the tears to travel faster.
Beyond the pride or friendship, past never leaving a comrade behind, a deep bond had blossomed between them. It was love that had finally awakened, like the final flower opening its petals for the first time, only to be lost to the cold of autumn forever.
After feeling what she had so long been chasing after, Terra decided that her love for him, the hope for his own life, happiness, and future plans was more powerful than whatever happened to her. He had risked everything for her, now it was her job to return the gesture.
To atone for her sins, this was the only way.
She leaned into his shoulder, fully taking in this moment to give her the last ounce of strength before saying, "You were the best friend, I ever had."
Beast Boy felt her gently push him back, and his feet followed. He was unable to look away, while the magma began to ascend around them.
In seeing their teammates united near the exit, that they were going to escape, it brought her to feel genuine peace. Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy were now on the furthest part of the room, they were going to be saved, she would make sure to that.
Down just below them, the mask of Slade was consumed by the lava. In her last act, she harnessed every bit of power to collapse the cave with her in it. To seal off the volcano, and turn the molten magma into stone.
The golden energy expanded about her body, it consumed the room while she screamed . . . and a flash of light blasted outwards.
- End Of Flashback -
(~)
"This is not your fault." The green teenager repeated, and in a quieter pitch he focused onto the main windows that overlooked the city. "Everything happened regardless of what you, or me, or anybody could have predicted. This is not going to be of any help to them, if we continue to tear ourselves down because of him."
The memory was so vivid, she only now realized where she was. Slade had returned, there was no understanding to how, but he was back and this time, the people she had decided to save, the city inhabitants that were spared were once more in his crosshairs.
As she looked up, her blue eye that was not obstructed from her long hair, caught the image of The Criminal Mastermind's picture. It was frozen within one of the many little window boxes, across the television. His menacing eye seemed to be peering directly into the camera, as though it was looking at her.
He was an enemy they all hated so much, his plans were the worst thing in the world to happen to anybody, and countless people suffered directly because of him.
Beast Boy wheeled himself towards the main computer console, and he began typing. The options in his head began to churn, and a new plan was forming.
"Beast Boy." Terra asked while rising to her feet. "We need to think about a plan, some way to help them."
"We will." His fanged tooth grin had formed across his face. "There is something that just might do the trick, and we don't even have to leave The Tower."
She began to approach him. The clicking sounds of the keys echoed within The Common Room, while dozens of new little windows filled the entire Jumbo Screen.
"What is that?" Terra squeezed her fists by her sides, " Are those-"
Beast Boy paused, he did not want there to be any casualties, his friends had already paid a steep price. With the last heartwarming memories he had from The Titans East members, flashing through his mind, and of Falcon who had talked with him on the roof those many days ago, there had been far too many losses.
"You never had to prove anything to me Terra." The changeling briefly looked over his shoulder. "You don't have to prove anything to anyone."
She placed her left hand onto his shoulder, causing him to reach over and clasp it. Her gentle voice became softer, while the communicators revealed where each of their friends were on the large map. They could not coordinate with their friends, but they were not entirely out of the fight.
The little screens revealed dozens of robots and remote drones, an untapped arsenal created by Robin and Cyborg primarily used for the training courses on the island. The little spheres and Cyborg's large battle-drones had become activated, and the weapon systems were fully charged.
"Beast Boy-"
"This may be crazy but luckily for us, Slade isn't expecting an army of our own!" he interrupted. "A Titan never quits, not on himself or his friends. We continue to push on. A hero strives to get through the battle, to work with his team and keep up the fight. We will get through this Terra. This is not over yet!"
To his credit, his smile and confidence was contagious, and she grinned back.
(~)
The strange emerald colored gas swirled about their ankles, like a putrid and decaying cloud of unimaginable terror. The teenage superheroes braced themselves as best they could, while the silhouettes of unwelcome strangers, had been standing at the complete opposite end of the room.
Just as quickly as they appeared, the mysterious interlopers had vanished. Was it a mirage? Was it all a ruse by the grand schemer himself?
The Teen Titans and The Titan Squadron members had become discombobulated, mortified of what was happening. A new fight had been unleashed, and they were fatigued.
Like rats confined behind the slippery walls of a maze, the frightful endeavor had worn everybody down, but panic was obvious across their faces. They wanted to escape, but the great labyrinth only became more convoluted. The deeper they traveled, the more dead-ends they met.
For typical high schoolers of their ages, the hormones would cause a great many imbalances, and the emotional responses would unleash worse reactions. Being a teenager was hard enough, but taking on the role of guardians and protectors of an entire city, that was something on a completely different level.
It was the people who were most flawed, the ones with the most pain and losses in their lives, it was they who had the most to offer the world, as they understood the problems that average people did not care about.
If they were allowed to show the ultimate potential they could achieve, if they could be given a chance, they could prove to not only themselves but others, at just how much power was waiting to be tapped into.
These superpowers that could define their strengths, this was not what made The Teen Titans and Titan Squadron members who they were. There was so much more within them, and it was something anybody could find in themselves, which is why people looked up to them.
Having incredible gifts did come in handy, they could fly, do battle with any number of weapons and expensive toys, shoot star bolts or lasers out of their hands and eyes, levitate objects at will, and could even morph into animals. However, on a much deeper and more impactful level, there was a far greater power which they each had, that so many overlooked.
They risked everything for each other, and to preform their craft because they wanted to genuinely make the world a better place. The ability to have all the powers at one's fingertips, but choosing not to become entirely dependent on such talents, that was a humble trait each of these heroes carried.
Robin's senses were trained to become those of a military commander, even at a young age. The brief yet chaotic battles that took place had only sharpened his skills. He was forced to put his intelligence into a higher gear, to push his body into countless physical training regiments, and numerous hand-to-hand fighting techniques.
This attack now, was exactly what he was going to use to motivate his allies.
He did not have superpowers, yet he was still The Captain of his team because of his tactics as a leader, of his willpower to push forwards and motivate others, these were some of his many skills he contributed.
To succeed, they had to work together. To lead others, he put the importance of organization and planning on the same level as knowing when and where to fight. To pull back when the risks were outweighing the successes. To always attack from a place of strength, to lure his enemies into a false sense of victory, and strike when they had overplayed their hand.
Even a seasoned warrior can be thrust into a battle that they were not ready for, and that sometimes one has to get creative in order to survive.
Slade was waiting for us . . . he knew we would come. Robin's voice echoed in his head. This is EXACTLY what I was hoping for!
"Steady!" Kimiko deadpanned, where the sound of one of her sharp blades being unsheathed was unmistakable. It revealed that she was prepared to fight. "Stick together!"
From the moment the gas was unleashed, to the orders being given, the green cloud had risen all across the concourse area! The view of their surroundings was becoming obscured, visibility was limited, and their eyes burned.
The superheroes spun round in circles in utter despair, hoping to be facing the enemy and not having their backs exposed. The hiss of the expanding cloud startled them, they had been monitored the moment they had arrived, and nobody knew what was going on.
The visibility was worsening, while a deluge of fears began to fester within their hearts. They had lost the avenue for escape, the sixth member of their group was still not with them, while the menacing shadows that arrived, had mysteriously vanished.
The heroes were not going to quit, they were going fight. Robin's bold stance had caused a ripple effect to sooth their concerns. They quickly followed his example, and they fell back a few steps.
The five teenagers became momentarily stupefied, while looking in every direction. The respect they shared for their comrades fighting skills, it helped to boost their confidence. A calm sensation had enhanced their stamina. They knew that their powers were capable to overcome great odds, but an even greater strength was in their ability to adapt.
"We have company!" Press chimed in, his frightened voice betraying his normal boasting mood, as he just barely caught a glimpse of what his teammates had also seen.
"Perfect!" Avatar quipped, as she reached towards her belt and retrieved her metal batons. "Stay on your guard, and remember your training!"
The gas was rising higher and faster, about to consume any chances for what clean breathable air that remained.
Fear is the ultimate test of will . . . to embrace what we fear, we learn to overcome. A powerful and captivating voice echoed inside Robin's head. It was from his mentor, The Dark Knight. Immerse yourself totally in fear, bask yourself in the fear that you hold onto.
Having entered the trap willingly, Robin and his allies had hit a new crisis. While closing his eyes, he focused inwardly on his earliest lessons, and he was most humble for the painful ones.
There is a great strength that can be found within everyone. Like a symbolic ritual that a monk would meditate upon, to generate balance inwardly. For The Boy Wonder, he keyed into this most vital of his lessons, and he allowed fear to wash over him.
Breathe . . . you are not out of this fight. The Titan's Captain told himself.
By now, the green mist expanded a great deal more. Rising up to their hips, then to their necks where the notion of asphyxiation was all anybody could ponder.
"Uh . . . I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in case you weren't aware, we can't stay here!" Press shouted while waving his right arm.
Time and time again, The Teen Titans had managed to overcome. To go beyond insurmountable limits, to venture forwards after being broken and nearly destroyed, left on the brink with no way out. When everything would show defeat, with the odds continually stacked against them, where a hopeless situation past a grieving loss in their own ranks was the worst atrocity; a deeper purpose became the bright beacon towards the future.
Both teams looked towards The Boy Wonder, who was standing in the middle of their united forces. They were proud to be with him, now they were waiting for what his orders would be.
They were dealing with unprecedented challenges, and instead of two opposing commanders bickering about a divided strategy, they all became a unified fighting force. Following his lead, they noticed a soothing element and honed into his state of mind, with a focused and confident purpose that they could all champion.
"Titans, hold fast!"
Robin's words calmed the storm raging within their hearts. The battle was going to take everything they had to endure. To overcome, there were bound to be more sacrifices.
One problem at a time. Robin thought in his head. We will cross that bridge when it happens, all that matters is countering this attack!
One by one, the teenagers leapt into action, creating a tight circle and protecting their flanks, while the gas rose higher and faster.
Desperation and survival were at the forefront of everything, where the senses became heightened. Time can appear slowed, as the adrenaline swells into overdrive. The reflexes in muscles can force an immediate defensive posture, and the sluggish energy disappears.
As testosterone courses through the body, overpowering everything into a berserk-like-state, tunnel vision runs motor functions like auto-pilot. The peripheral vision becomes strengthened, as the pupils can dilate to pick up the swiftest of strikes.
"Titans, mask up!" Robin's voice echoed across the walls of concrete.
"It stings my eyes!" Press gasped while rubbing his face. "I - I can't see!"
"Press!" Avatar reached out to him. "Shut your yap, and get your kit on!"
The heroes reached into their respective belts and pouches, to retrieve their respirators. The smell of the fumes was getting to them, a few coughed, others helped to get the breathing apparatuses turned on for their allies but very quickly they had lost sight of each other, and were swallowed entirely by the green mist.
The breathing devices were compact, small enough not get in the way. They had been built for exploration alongside The T-Ship, whenever they would venture deep below the waterline, or if they were in some inhospitable environment.
The metal tubes were a very nifty tool, something of ambitious ingenuity, which Cyborg had crafted, following the event against Brother Blood at his sub-aquatic academy. That crisis was a long time ago, but they learned from this lesson, and they focused on what happened after each mission since the beginning.
A steady female coughing was heard. Somebody was still struggling to get their equipment on, but who was it?
"Sound off!" Robin demanded, quick on his feet to reorient the group.
Avatar here!" The Squadron Leader called out.
At least it's not her. Robin thought.
"Gah . . . my eyes are killing me! Hey . . . where are you guys!?" Press chimed in. "Guys? GUYS!"
The coughing fit picked up again. It could only come from one of two remaining sources, and this frightened Robin.
"Kimiko, where in the blasts are you?" Avatar deadpanned. "I thought you were on my left?"
"I'm over here!" The Japanese American warrior replied, from a corner behind the group. She was standing upon a bench, while she held one blade in front of her, the second was still in its scabbard.
"Stand together!" Robin ordered.
"This sucks!" Press's voice echoed. "I can't see a dang thing, let alone where those guys went?"
"Raven!" Robin called. "Raven! . . . where are you? Raven!"
The coughing fit was becoming almost violent, it was an uncomfortable gut-feeling that someone had inhaled too much smoke. It was not known what the concoction would do, but with how Terra and Starfire had both been affected by weaponized versions themselves, it was not a good sign.
"Stay alert!" The Boy Wonder cried out, as the most recent casualties were still unpleasant to think about. "Starfire! Raven! Where are you guys?"
*Titans Tower . . . to . . . come . . . *
"Beast Boy?" Robin held his device up, but the screen suddenly went black. "Titans Leader to Titans Tower . . . come in!"
"I can't get any communication from my communicator, to Titans Tower either!" Avatar spun around, as she had suddenly stepped out of their group and was displaced. ". . . something is jamming the line! Perhaps I should head to higher ground?"
"Do not move!" Robin belted. "Stay right where you are! For God Sakes, keep the masks on!"
Kimiko reached over and pulled her comrade back utilizing her red cape. "We don't know what this toxic poison is, whatever you do, do not separate!"
Press backed himself into a body, tripping over their legs.
She wheezed, and moaned in agony, but was still unable to respond.
"Sorry!" Press apologized. "I . . . I can't see anything through this - oh no!"
The disturbing coughing picked up from the right of the room, where a blue like shape had crumpled to the ground and was gasping for air. A grey hand reached out, and the young man knelt beside her.
"RAVEN!" Robin called as he bolted towards her. He was alongside her in seconds, and he hurried to get the device in her mouth.
The Empath had not been able to put it on, and she was unable to breathe. The Boy Wonder turned as this was happening, and he became totally focused on her and The Squadron members.
The twilight of stars from above had become blocked out, as items around them were engulfed by the thick green fumes. A subtle rasping sounded from the air filters, of inhaling and exhaling from their mouth pieces.
"Breathe Raven. Take a few deep breaths." Avatar replied while glancing near them. "Your mask is on."
The heroes had the means to endure, without succumbing to the nefarious tactics that their opponent had already unleashed. For many people, without any guidance or training, one can become frozen in place, a startled hopelessness can settle in, and the will to act becomes impossible.
After a bit of wheezing, Raven slowly blinked her eyes and she looked up. "R…o…bin?"
"Easy there." Press chimed in. "We're right here with you, and everything is going to be alright."
Kimiko glanced over her shoulder. "Touching."
"Titans, rally to me. Rally to me NOW!" Robin ordered.
His battle cry raised the spirits of his troops. His body had jumped into 'fight-mode' while his mind like all of theirs, was desperately processing what was happening.
Damn this cloud! Robin bickered to himself. We need to get to the high-ground, or back-track from where we came from, but I can barely see my own hand in front of my face. This is bad.
"Robin!" Avatar pleaded. "We lost contact with The Tower, and Starfire is missing!"
Robin had put the breathing tube onto Raven's mouth, and she suddenly turned on her hip while the brief coughing was heard through the respirator. After a few intense seconds, The Empath sat upright and felt Robin's hand on hers.
"You gave me quite a scare." Robin breathed a sigh of relief.
Raven looked up and said, "I-I'm sorry."
Her teammate pulled her in close and whispered, "Don't pull something like that again, you hear me?"
She simply nodded.
"Gah! I knew this whole operation was a bad idea from the start!" Press tapped his cane against the floor.
"Can-it!" Avatar scolded. "Raven! How are you feeling?"
The thick shroud of gas did not dissipate, and the shadows of the teenagers was beginning to vanish, like sailors of a capsized ship, adrift and lost. Trying to form a battle-line was easier said than done, where after hearing Robin's command, the shadows of the ominous people that approached from the field, had since dissipated into the fog.
They were creeping ever nearer towards their band that was wide open for any assault.
With no knowledge as to the strength in the enemies numbers, or where his own group could fall back to, these issues were all working against the superheroes.
Slade had meticulously plotted this, where along the way, the fierce battles of the past which had damaged their moral so badly, the mind-games which had turned them against one another, these breadcrumbs were leading to far worse and more exhausting challenges.
The Teen Titans were always fighting against the odds, barely slipping by and salvaging the day, with mere seconds on the clock. Things were not looking good, and the constant unforeseen trip-ups, only made their hearts heavy with both fear, and angst.
To overcome each of these trials, something had been exchanged, and they started to grow.
Their principles, their core values and the oaths that made them who they were, like The Dark Knight who refused to kill, or even their own ambitious traits, to sacrifice everything for the good of the innocent, it was these morals which revealed to everybody, that there were in fact lines that could become exploited.
The hooded face of Falcon, and the smirking glow of Beast Boy's grin in his wheelchair, from the cheerful memories with The Titans East members, these images brought a deeper struggle to Robin.
He may have accepted the responsibilities as Team Captain, but he was also beginning to see, what his mentor had tried to show him. The reasoning why he left Gotham, was that deep down, deep within his own arrogance that he needed to prove, was that he was not going to follow what The Dark Knight had done, to him or Batgirl.
Little by little however, he was understanding his folly, as he now saw himself in the role as his adoptive father. There would always be sacrifices that had to be made, and the harder he fought himself, the more easily it was to become exploited.
While the teams tried to collect themselves, and brace for what was to be unleashed, the silhouettes of a few people having emerged, suddenly came into focus. All around them and wearing masks of their own.
"It has been a long time." A feminine voice cooed. It was Poison Ivy, the only villain not wearing a mask. "Avatar!"
The brunette suddenly felt her eyes bulge in fear.
"YOU!? But . . . HOW?" The Squadron Captain gasped.
The red haired plant conjurer was sitting upon a great vine that shot out of the floor, and she stroked a flower that bloomed alongside her.
"I have my methods." Poison Ivy smirked.
"As do I." Victor Zsasz chimed in while twirling a fat blade.
"Zsasz!" Press rasped. "You were in Arkham!"
"Ho-ho! Surprised my dear lad . . . but no matter." The bald headed criminal poised himself in a fighting stance, ready to duel him.
A terrifying beast-like snarl, echoed behind the group, where a hulking reptile of some foul creature slithered forwards. The shackles dangled along his wrists and ankles, and his massive body revealed immense physical strength. The odor that clung to his body was something of fish, mixed with spoiled milk.
"Killer Croc." Kimiko deadpanned, "Ah, I knew I smelled something foul, you old sewer slug!"
He hissed where his forked tongue stuck out.
Another combatant somersaulted down, preforming an elegant front flip and landing on both of her feet. The green kimono and long metal claws being unsheathed revealed Cheshire.
"Great." Kimiko gulped while she looked to Robin. "Friend of yours?"
Cheshire simply tilted her head, the mask over her face concealed any remarks, as she refrained from making any comment or banter. It also acted as a filter, to breathe within inhospitable environments.
It was in this moment, when all hope had become consumed through darkness and despair, when the true qualities and commanding leadership that Robin was so suitable, finally emerged. He immediately focused on the issue, and he was ready.
They had to fight. Outnumbered, their backs to the wall, they needed to coordinate a counter attack, and everything hinged on his shoulders.
"Titans, GO!" Robin roared, like a proud wolf to lead his pack into the fight.
The Captain was entirely fixated on this course of action. Without even realizing it, he unsheathed his bo-staff, and he felt his comrades all racing into the mass of gathered foes, who charged into them.
(~)
Overlooking the great ravine at the far end of the tarmac, Cyborg stood. He was wheezing and gasping for air, both of his hands were clenching his knees, his lungs felt a great scourge of a fire that could not be cooled.
No matter how low the temperature was outside, his insides were burning. Sweat poured down his face in long streaks, as a steady beep from his warning system caused him to look at his wrist. His power supply was down to twenty-five percent!
The violent shockwave had rippled across the whole of Steel City. Like a crash of thunder, causing a heavy boomeranging to rattle the glass windows of the facility he had just left.
The unprecedented noise was caused from rockets, having smashed into The Titan Squadron's concealed aircraft.
At first glance it looked like a shooting star. It did not take long however, to become astutely aware of what it truly was, the moment a wing peeled away. The fuselage began a death spiral, spinning faster and faster with only one wing remaining, and the tail end was totally engulfed by flames.
A pang of fear was felt in his chest, as Cyborg pushed his body to keep running, to keep going. Like a determined fighter would feel, in a boxing match for the title of Heavy Weight Champion of the World. The unfathomable desire to win, was what drove him.
The teenager had bolted down the stairwell, and out the main doors of The Air Traffic Control Tower, before he could contemplate anything. Now that he was at the valley's end, he felt movement as he tracked the largest portion of debris being the cockpit.
The muscular eighteen-year-old was looking up when he ran, yet he could detect no escape pods, or parachutes being deployed. Things were off to a really bad start, and he prayed that this incident, was not going to turn into a salvage operation.
I can still rescue her! I know I can, if I can just calculate the trigonometry of the landscape, and focus on where it is headed!
Cyborg spoke to himself, as he typed away on his right wrist. A small dish protruded from his left shoulder, while the infrared scanner of his left crimson eye, began to plot the land before him.
As the airship careened downwards, his heart felt to have jumped into his throat. No matter how good of a pilot Delphi was, she could not pull out of the tailspin, or maneuver away from the fast approaching destination.
A creaking moan of twisting metal pierced his ears, as whole segments of the once mighty airship continued to break apart, causing him to wince. Now the last segment of the wing fractured, and it pulled back like a piece of paper.
"Delphi! Delphi, report!" Cyborg opened his communicator attached to his wrist, as he had stopped only to allow the trajectory to be zeroed in on.
As expected, there was no response. He grumbled, the stinging of his lungs was a roaring fire now, the mechanical parts that made him the young man he was, they gave limitations on what he was capable of accomplishing.
"I'm on my way!" The Teen Titan pleaded into his built-in communicator. "I know you have an emergency ejector seat in that cockpit. PUSH IT NOW!"
The ache of his lower back gave a lighting shock of pain, he stumbled yet he had no time to waste. He scowled yet his legs carried him onwards.
His T-Car was just on the other side of the ridge, it could swoop in low and pick up the pilot if she could just break free of the glass canopy on her ship! A maneuver he only preformed in simulators back at home base, yet it was feasible.
Looking back, Cyborg was amazed at how much distance he had trekked, and with a heavy throbbing cramp causing him to limp, he pushed on.
The final exterior sections of her team's prized vehicle, the turbines that powered the aircraft, and even the tires broke off from the tumbling wreck, they extended for a landing but it was no use, and the G-Force knocked them out. Some of the smaller pieces were far behind the fuselage, where tiny bits of debris created glowing embers to scatter into the wind.
Skilled operators in the military would try to locate a place to steer the aircraft away from populated civilian centers, an open field, a road, even a swath of water, and it appeared that Delphi had done everything in her powers, to do just that.
Smoke bellowed outwards and plumed behind what remained, like a tail to a comet. In a sweeping low arc across the sky, and directly ahead of him, it passed just over the trees!
Down the airship plummeted, towards the back end of the rocky gorge which would be the final resting place. The technician remotely accessed his car, and it was flying towards his target where the headlights guided it.
The lack of making preparations, not recharging his battery, refusing to eat a warm meal, or sorting through any equipment prior to his departure from Jump City; these were all making him feel sluggish at the most extreme levels. At best, he could stagger but there was something deep within him that compelled him to stand.
The mesmerizing fireball in the sky burned so brightly, that The Titan's Co-Captain could not part his gaze, where it finally smashed into the extensive void.
BOOM!
It was the deafening echo from the hunk of debris, having finally reached its end. Strangely enough, a calm sensation of silence followed, and only the distant gust of wind greeted him while he froze.
"NO!" Cyborg cried to the heavens as his legs finally gave out.
Murphy's Law was unraveling. Basically, everything that could go wrong, was happening and there was nothing that would offset that balance.
Like poor Sisyphus of ancient Greek Mythos, the punishment was a never ending and a losing battle. Each morning at sunrise, the man of the classic fable would push a gigantic boulder up to the top of a mountain, and every time that he neared the precipice of the peek by daylights end, the boulder would tumble back down the hill.
"DELPHI!"
His heart was pounding hard, so heavily in fact that he could hear nothing else except the rhythm within his ears. He took a deep breath to steady himself for what he would see in the valley below.
No! Cyborg spoke in his head, This cannot be happening! Anything but this . . . I need to know that Delphi made it through. Surely, SURELY she used the ejection button inside of her cockpit before all of this!
He felt dizzy, his lips were dry, he longed for a refreshing drink of ice cold water to extinguish the burning in his throat. Just as hard as the M-D.A.R.V. had slammed into the jagged crags at the bottom, Cyborg had hit the wall any athlete can relate to.
The numerous helicopters circling the destruction of The Titans East Tower, had a breaking story to cover once more. Ever so steadily, the distant sound of their long propellers whirling, slicing through the air in a humming pattern drew closer.
The terrible guilt of so many possibilities was spiraling wildly out of control, mixing with the frustration at how stubborn his own teammates and hers, put them all in a trap for their enemies. They were being taken down, one by one, and the odds of victory seemed to be stacked higher against them.
The smoke within the bowl shaped cavity within the Earth, rose upwards and in thick puffy layers, expanding in a dark black soot that smelled of leaking gasoline, and of burning plastic with electrical fumes.
The bitter chill was almost unnoticeable from the rising of his body heat, while he leaned over the gully.
"How could I be so blind? It . . . it was supposed to be me!" Looking to the sky, he arched his head back while the agony swallowed him fully. "IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ME!"
The servo motors within his joints moaned a little louder, while his armor and mechanical apparatus was tugging at the places his joints were interconnected. The cold had a way to make things unpleasant to any outdoor athlete against the bare skin.
The muscles become stiff, to slow the blood flowing to the extremities to keep the core essentials operating. The sting against the ears and nose are the more difficult problems to deal with.
His exhaling was labored in large puffs, while the intake of much needed oxygen tasted unpleasant and brackish. Upon looking to his wrist, the scanner was reading his power levels at now twenty-four percent, then in the next glance it read twenty-three. The bar dropped yet another much darker red tone, and this mission looked more like a one way ticket.
"I have to make a decision, and I will not have enough power to do both. I can do some maneuvering and fight, but that is going to cause new problems. Damn it!"
Cyborg remembered everything so vividly, the second he took out the jamming device, and the best plan he had so meticulously calculated and stuck with, had backfired. The truth to being a leader of any group was taking total responsibilities. When the mission was completed, any casualties that were inflicted bore the deepest stain to any commander's reputation.
Surely, Cyborg thought, there is another way to . . .
The Titan's Co-Captain stopped thinking. He had longed to be on this mission by himself, to not being in a place to look over anybody but himself, and that gave him the ultimate trump card.
It was not meant to be however, and the smug grin on Delphi's face, of her standing in his way back on the bluff overlooking the water, it hit him. Their confrontation and coming to terms only brought the fear, of losing another friend back to him.
Falcon had been distant, and overtly frustrating to try bridging anything towards, but even in that short span of time, they had come to an understanding. A connection had been made, and it was ripped away before they could fully work through their issues.
To a person who leaves off in an argument thinking they had the final word, to then never see that person again, it brought a deeper pain in learning of their death. For Cyborg and the others, now, it was a pain never to be settled.
How am I going to explain this?
He hated the dilemma, but there was very little he could object, as she had come on her own accord. She was willing to go, and in a similar manner of how all soldiers make peace with, death was a possibility at any time.
Falcon was gone. Cyborg had vowed that he would never leave a comrade behind, that the mission could wait. This time the entire situation was conflicted, as the mission had been a rescue operation, where the smoldering rubble out in the bay caused the Titan's Second-In-Command to remain locked in place.
The faces of so many came rushing through his head. Bumblebee, Kid Flash, Speedy, Mas Y Menos, Falcon, and now . . . Delphi. The glimpses of his own father, of the scientists at Star Labs, and the scream of his mother had finally forced him to jolt back into reality.
"NO!" he cried, while he knelt upon the ledge.
This unpleasant slap in the face, caused him to feel failure as he had following his own accident within S.T.A.R. Labs. He could not accept a new tragedy, not when this could have been avoided. There had to be a way out. Cyborg needed to prove to everybody that he was going to rescue The Titans East, he was going to prove to Robin, that he could manage.
He sighed while looking down into the deep gully. He held his attention completely upon the burning wreck, that lay at the bottom. He felt his fists tighten, and the burning ache was transformed into a fuel for something else. Revenge.
Cyborg bowed his head in deep remorse. "I . . . I failed her. This is my fault."
A part of what he had let stay dormant, deep within himself was a void, a black pit that had been pushed deeper and further away. He kept pushing it away, it was something within himself, a part that only screamed louder with every passing failure.
Robin . . . now I understand. Now I know why the struggle with Falcon was so damned hard!
While glancing to his metal hands, the robotic components and artificial body parts that had been molded into his flesh, his reflection never withheld all that he was, and everything he had lost those many years ago.
His tactics and the computer side of his brain reinforcing the stigma that he was more machine rather than man, brought him to feel pathetic. He buried that past life, the day of his mother's funeral.
He was not sure of who he even was any longer. Victor was gone, the ambition and goals as the once prominent football athlete had been abandoned. Opening his tear filled eye, the same reflection of his awakening at the hospital forced him to punch the ground.
He slowly rose to his feet, and as he prepared to scan the area for a pathway, the rat-tat-tat of a Tommy gun erupted nearby. The bullets ricocheted across his path, creating wisps in their wake!
The hero turned, and two people had closed off the direction he had arrived from, where the expression of shock had been replaced with pure rage. It took a few moments to figure out who they were, but the mugshots of their arrests were pulled up from memory.
Great! Cyborg's voice echoed inside his head.
The Teen Titan ducked and dove behind a burning stump. The gunshots were still hitting everything around him, except for him.
"Watch it Dummy!" A strange Brooklyn accent called out, it was Scarface, and the old man with glasses holding him in one hand, was wielding a machine gun in his other.
"Shut up you dusty old plank!" The man wearing the expensive white suit, and donning a frightful skull as a head barked back to his criminal ally. "He isn't going anywhere."
"What are you yapping at me about? Shoot him!" Scarface badgered back.
Black Mask was wielding two black AK-47 rifles of his own, and he began to pepper spray the area wildly aiming for his target. When one gun was empty, he tapped the release mechanism, and upon his belt he had dozens of magazines that he swapped into place.
Bullets were whizzing near the hero and hitting the dirt, as he avoided the deadly fire. He twisted his body while diving towards another burning tree stump losing his footing, tumbling down the embankment!
The teenager vanished from sight, while the two criminals stopped their shooting.
"Check the area." Black Mask's gravelly voice motioned for his comrade in crime to investigate.
After a few lingering seconds, Arnold Wesker looked and pointed to himself with disbelief. He was always the errand boy, and the puppet swirled his head and with his thick cigar in his mouth, Scarface rolled his eyes. "He wasn't talking to me. Dummy!"
"Oh, right. I'm sorry Mr. Scarface." Arnold gradually walked forwards.
"Honestly, good goons are so hard to find now days." Scarface chuckled towards the other criminal mastermind.
Black Mask groaned in annoyance.
Overlooking the ledge, the frail old man pulled back. He gulped. "He's uh . . . he's not there!"
"You had one shot, one!" The puppet prattled on, while glancing to the other villain. "Now look at what you've done! You've missed him! And he got away!"
"Stick a sock in it, you ungrateful plank!" Black Mask hissed, while the empty casings were scattered around his expensive shoes. "Don't make me turn my arsenal against you now."
Smoke was seen rising out of the tips of their firearms, and both criminals rested their weapons in the recesses of their arms.
The disfigured character in his pin-striped suit, growled at his antagonizer, while the tiny old man holding him, cowered.
"Stand up straight! What's da matter wif you? Didn't mamma teach you proper manners?" Scarface shouted in his mobster dialect, while he swiveled his head towards Wesker. "Don't look at me four-eyes, scan the ravine!"
The fragile old man recoiled in fear. "Yes Mr. Scarface. Uh . . . of course. Sorry sir."
"Come out, come out wherever you are." Scarface prattled while his handler walked towards the lip of the edge.
"HIYAH!" Cyborg's booming voice forced them to jump backwards, as he unleashed a heavy uppercut into the body of the old man, sending him across the field! "I was already having a bad day, now . . . you made things worse!"
The Teen Titan was standing proudly, and he quickly fired his Sonic-Cannon towards his second opponent, landing a blast in-between them and forcing them to splinter away even further!
The gunfighting gangsters quickly got back to their feet, and they flanked opposite sides of The Titan, shooting while running behind cover. Cyborg dove forwards on his belly, unleashing blasts from his primary weapon at both sides, and ducking low.
"Is that the best you got!" Cyborg boasted. "HUH? You pieces of Gotham Gutter Trash!"
"Gutter Trash!?" Scarface was flabbergasted. "You got a lot a nerve Tin-man!"
"You don't have anywhere to run, your mission here has failed, and from the look of things down in the gully, your only friend is a goner." Black Mask rasped with a snicker behind a boulder. "You overestimate your chances of survival, hero. Surrender!"
Crouched behind a burning tree, Cyborg paused after taking a few more pot-shots at his antagonizers. Most of the tree had been severed, as the airship sliced through it on its way to the bottom of the gulch.
"Give it up kid." Scarface joined in. "You don't have anywhere left to go. It's over!"
"Not yet it isn't." Cyborg smirked while rising to his feet, and with his cannon fully charged, he unleashed a bright blue beam at the voice from the puppet crime lord.
The shooting went back and forth, both sides unable to gain a clear advantage while the hero dug his heels in to the wet mud, and he continued the fight.
"Hi boys!"
A feminine and very seductive female voice interrupted the gunfight, as she was standing on the hill across the gorge, behind the Teen Titan with her left hand on her hip, and her right holding a remote.
"Crap!" Cyborg shouted in grief, he had been outflanked, as a third attacker had waited for her moment to attack.
It was Catwoman, and she unloaded a barrage of rockets from a large launcher into the hillside directly across from her, and into the overturned log that Cyborg was crouched behind. A massive explosion rippled throughout the area, while the other combatants dove for cover.
KA-BOOM!
A massive cloud of dust was kicked up, as the entire ledge that the young man was crouching behind, was engulfed by the great plume of smoke. The target was nowhere to be seen, as a wide section of the outer wall had collapsed into the pit.
{{End Of Scene}}
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Author's Note:
My esteemed readers,
How was that ending I left you all with this time around? To reach this stage, it has been another long process to get to this point, where I do enjoy leaving cliffhangers. *maniacal laughter* There are countless questions that are churning within my own brain, as well as each of your thinking-caps. Will The Teen Titans and their allies survive this, or is this truly the end?
It has been a constant process, that is not meant to be a race in reaching the ending only. (I have learned that valuable lesson before, and it is one that I have vowed to uphold myself, to much higher standards.) Many months have passed since the previous chapter was posted, where life continues to unravel for us all, but, I am still here. Alive, (thankfully) breathing and working.
So long as I am able, and for those who wish to see more to this story, I will do everything in my powers to keep at this. It does help me to gauge what you the readers feel though, when you write a review, and it compels me to post the chapters much faster.
I strive to get the chapters uploaded as soon as I can, where the multiple revisions, the editing, the rearranging of scenes ultimately creates new struggles on their own. Please note, that I am doing my due diligence with the characters, the plot, and making sure that all of the pieces connect, which is a very important balance to maintain.
Thank you to everybody for the continued support! You all bring about a great comfort to my heart. I would not have made it to this place, without first understanding the many lessons that I have embraced along the way, or the humility of my many pitfalls and failures, that has assisted me to better learn what I must improve upon, to create a work truly worthy for the fans of the original series.
~~T.M.O~~